‘Oumuamua one year later

One year ago this week astronomers discovered an unusual object moving through space not too far from the Earth’s orbit. In just a few days they realized it could not be a normal asteroid or comet – its path showed that it was not gravitationally bound to the solar system. It was, therefore, the first interstellar body ever discovered in our solar system that originated from outside it. It was given the Hawaiian name ‘Oumuamua, “scout.”